If you know how to identify the kawakawa plant (Piper excelsum) try making this simple tea. It’s a wonderful tea to have in your refrigerator. When I’m feeling lethargic or even stressed I drink a glass of kawakawa tea daily for up to a week just to flush out toxins and connect me back to Papatūānuku or to be grounded. With our busy lives we sometimes can get caught up living in our head and become ungrounded. Kawakawa tea assists us in bringing our awareness back to the centre. From the centre we are able to see more clearly (from the heart).
1. Place a handful of leaves (about 5 leaves) in a pot with a litre of water and bring to a boil
2. Boil for 5 minutes and let it infuse for a few more minutes
3. Strain the leaves and drink or
4. Allow the plant juice to cool.
5. Bottle, label and refrigerate for up to 7 days
TIP: I like to bring the leaves to a boil and then let it steep in its juice and leaves for a day or two before I bottle. The juice is stronger in flavour.
Enjoy!
Kiaora. Do you have any recipes for our mōkai?